Article

People who suffer from Low Back Pain (LBP) demonstrate impaired postural control.
Deficits in sensory-motor systems have been proposed to be related to these
changes. Considering higher cognitive process contribution to postural control,
the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of cognitive load on balance
control of patients with LBP. Twenty subjects with recurrent non-specific LBP and
20 healthy controls participated. They stood on a moveable platform with each
foot placed on a separate force plate. They were asked to maintain their balance
(a) while expecting translations of the support surface at two sizes of
perturbation (b) with and without performing a cognitive
(auditory Stroop) task.
The outcomes included reaction time (RT), latency, initial velocity and amplitude
of center of pressure response for balance, and RT for cognitive performance.
Compared to the healthy group, LBP group demonstrated delayed RT and latency, and
reduced initial velocity (P<0.05). Moreover, they had slower Stroop RT (F=70.88,
P<0.001). Concurrent performance of tasks resulted in increased Stroop RT
(F=3.42, P=0.03) and adaptation in initial velocity (F=6.70, P=0.01). At the
smaller size of perturbation, cognitive load increased velocity in LBP group but
decreased this variable in the healthy group. When the cognitive load was added
at the larger size of perturbation, velocity of response decreased in LBP group
(P<0.05). These findings imply altered cognitive regulation of dynamic balance in
patients with LBP and suggest that the adopted strategy might alter depending
upon the characteristics of the postural challenge.
CI - Copyright (c) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS